


The Fox Prince

by Death_Wand



Category: Naruto
Genre: Demons Age Slower Than Humans, Fox Demon Uzumaki Naruto, Fox Demons - Freeform, Gen, Parental Kyuubi | Nine-tails | Kurama
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-30
Updated: 2021-01-27
Packaged: 2021-03-09 22:36:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 9,495
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27803914
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Death_Wand/pseuds/Death_Wand
Summary: Kushina decided she couldn't leave her son's fate in Minato's hands, capable as they were, and struck a deal with the devil.If those sorry excuses for humans needed a wake-up call, who was she to deny them?Or that one fic where Kushina outsmarted the Kyuubi and had him swear it will protect her son.
Relationships: Haruno Sakura & Uzumaki Naruto, Kyuubi | Nine-tails | Kurama & Uzumaki Naruto, Naruto & Happiness, Uchiha Sasuke & Uzumaki Naruto
Comments: 130
Kudos: 213





	1. Kushina I

Kushina's hand rested on her somewhat round belly, and while she was yet still far from giving birth to the babe – a child! Her own flesh and blood! – even this small bump was enough to ignite her imagination. Thoughts and words unspoken swam in the recess of her mind.

Not all of them were nice.

Familiar as those thoughts were, the redheaded woman knew she won't be rid of them for a long time – not until she discovered a solution for each and every one of them. Some, as it turned out, were easy to solve, as the news of her pregnancy were not public knowledge yet, and the true parentage of her child would stay concealed from those who wish them harm.

Other matters proved harder to solve. The matter of Jinjuriki was if memory served Kushina right, far removed from the village hidden in the leaves, which could be a good or a bad thing. Those who had not seen the nine-tailed fox would never be able to imagine the magnitude of the danger it represented.

It was, truth be told, one of the good things that Kushina liked about the village since she never had to face the same level of nervousness and hostility from the population that had once been part of her life.

The downside to such a naïve world view was that the subject of the Kyuubi wasn't taken as seriously as it should – did no one hear her when she said there was a slight chance the Kyuubi could escape? Their confident attitude and arrogant expressions were maddening! Did they really think that just moving away from the village would be of any help?

Kushina warned them multiple times, as did Minato – she swears, that man was one of the few in the village that inherited more than one brain cell – however, their warnings fell on deaf ears.

Foolish, all of them! From how rusty their brain was, it was just as likely to blow up as to give out a reasonable thought! Could they not for one moment try to imagine what would happen if something went wrong? She had.

After the Kyuubi will rampage, and destroy and kill the beast will be sealed again. She will be dead, leaving Minato and her unborn babe alone. Would Minato be able to shoulder the mantle of Hokage _and_ take care of a child? And what if the man joined her in the Shinigami's embrace – who would take care of her child?

The thought had Kushina terrified out of her mind, not in the usual sense, since she could still function like a normal human being, but its hold of her was readily apparent to any who knew her.

Minato noticed ages ago, and of course, she shared her worries with him, but wasn't Minato himself part of what had her worried? Her husband, as bright and just as he was, was a leader first and a father second, and Kushina knew that if pressed hard enough – if Minato felt he had no other choice – her beloved would make their child into the next Jinjuriki.

The power-boost simply wasn't worth it.

It was, if she was honest, one of her recurring nightmares – Minato had found her in the kitchen countless times after she woke up, sweating and shaken to her core – she just hoped it never came to be.

Hope. It was unlike her to rely on something so fickle.

There must be something more she could do if not to prevent this nightmare from happening then to deal with it when it comes. There had to be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just looking back at the original had me cringing so hard that I just couldn't leave it alone. So, this is going to be a lot better in quality, at least I hope it will! However, as English isn't my native tongue, I'd love to hear what you think - I love knowing that someone cared enough to leave a comment, even if it's a simple 'Extra Kudos!' or something similar to that since it helps motivate me to write faster :)


	2. Kyuubi I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Kyuubi gets an offer and isn't really thrilled about it

The Kyuubi had long stopped struggling to get out of the constructions wrapped around him – the name for them escaped him, seeing as there was never a need for him to know. Yet now, this measly thing was enough to hold him in place.

This seal weakened him, but not as many other seals had. It had not trapped its' power, nor did it take it away from him. He could feel it in his very being, and he could use it, move it around, manipulate it as he wished – _attack_ – though, there was nothing here to attack.

Maybe that's not the best way to put it, since it's not that he was devoid of any visitors or objects – the redheaded humans and their constructs had been a source of ire for many, many days. If the Kyuubi had to guess, this seal prevented him from physically touching while others retained the ability to touch him. That was the only reason he stayed his hand when the redheaded woman came to him.

The information Kyuubi had on her was basic and lacking – she was female, she controlled the constructions and she preferred to ignore his existence. Until this very moment, he'd seen her only once. Thus, her sudden appearance had his fur rise in alarm, though he doubted the human noticed.

How shameful.

There were times, long before his humiliating defeat at the hands of the humans, that seas evaporated in fear at his immense chakra and mountains erupted, red and hot at his very presence. His kind – not the Bijuu, but the fox demons of old – admired his nine tails and sang songs of his glory. What were they singing now?

It was only then that he noticed something that escaped him before. The redheaded human was pregnant – there is another life forming inside his jailer. With that, her visit suddenly made much more sense than before. The woman feared that the beast inside her will escape soon, and her fear led her here.

The Kyuubi knew not what she stood to gain. She must have known, even if she neglected to visit him before, that the beast inside of her would never strike a deal with her.

"Are you the Kyuubi?"

No one spoke to him for such a long time that when she did, the Kyuubi's ears twitched. He won't answer her questions, though.

"Sorry, that was a stupid question. Of course you are," the female rumbled, and a nervous smell reached his nose – unsurprising, that. Even like this, the Kyuubi was a sight to behold. He was many times bigger than her, and his power dwarfed her own many times over. 

"I," she shuffled her weight from foot to foot – another nervous tick, one might say. "I propose a bet."

And wasn't that telling.

It wasn't the first time another being tried to use his fox characteristics against him – fox demons are known as tricksters and troublemakers, yes, but another thing they could hardly resist was a good bet. What 'good' was, often, was left for interpretation.

One would have thought that as a Bijuu, a being made purely of chakra, the Kyuubi would be exempt from those traits, but he was not. A mix was more accurate, though he did favour his fox heritage quite a bit – though it was less so as years passed by and his anger started clouding his thoughts.

Since anger had no place here, the Kyuubi decided to humour the woman and listen, **"Interesting proposition, though, I'm not sure you could hardly offer me anything of value."**

"Your freedom-"

 **"Will be restored to me with time. I've lived long, a few years more is not something I can't endure. Maybe I won't even need to wait for much longer,"** he looked pointedly at her midsection, **"why won't you try again?"**

"There's one thing," she says slowly, "I can give you my eyes so that you could see through them as I do. I know you said that you don't mind waiting, but wouldn't it be better to have something to help you pass the time?"

It would. Being locked in this drab place without outside stimuli was torture, **"This is something that should have been given to me from the start. If that's all you have to offer than I fear this bet of ours is over."**

"What _do_ you want?" The female huffed, "my firstborn, or something?" 

**"Of course not. What would I do with a human child?"** The Kyuubi huffed.

"Well, good. Because that's the one thing I refuse to bet on," she smiled looking like a huge stone got off her back. It irked the Kyuubi.

**"I will think about it some more, though I am curious, what would you want from me in return? As you might have noticed, I don't have much to give away… for now."**

She knew, of course, but she came here with this in mind. The human must have had something else she wanted from the Kyuubi – power, was what most desired, but he doubted that was it.

"I want to win your protection," she said.

So, it was about power. For some reason, the Kyuubi was a little disappointed. He shouldn't have been surprised – this was how humans were. All of them, gunning for power without thinking of those they kick into despair along the way. This human was no different, **"for you?"** he mocked her with a chuckle.

"For my village, so that even if I'm no longer here-"

 **"No,"** he refused, **"How else would I _burn that place to the ground_ when I'm out of this hellhole?"**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, here's a chapter from Kurama's point of view. He's still angry little furball, but with Kushina's chains around him, he can't really do anything.  
> So, what do you think?


	3. Kushina II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kushina: What you can do, I can do better  
> Minato: Wait, wha-?

Fortunately, Kushina came to the Kyuubi baring no silly expectations of an easy alliance. What reason did the Kyuubi have to alley itself with a human woman when he despised her whole species? None… other than the fact that it was her that held its' freedom, or maybe, that only made it resent her more.

Had the fox agreed, no doubt any promises made would have been ignored if not intentionally broken to spite her and her entire line – but that was fine as well. Working together had been the farthest from her mind when she'd made the visit. What she wanted to know was about its' character - since the one time they did meet was so long ago and not one of them tried communicating with the other.

There _were_ many books and scrolls talking about Bijuu and many more detailing the shifty nature of kitsune – but those were written by humans, and more than that, none were written on a kitsune who was also a Bijuu, so Kushina decided to gather intel and treat the ordeal like a mission.

First, she waited until Minato left to deal with his Hokage duties – since she wanted him out of the loop – and only then did she take out her 'mission' details. The primary goal was, of course, protecting her child, but until she could get a better read on the fox, it would be better if it thought that wasn't her goal.

That's why she decided on another, a decoy to divert the fox's focus – sparing her village. It didn't matter if the Kyuubi agreed or not, because Minato was already preparing for the possible disaster, though she didn't know the specifics.

Kushina resented how she was kept out of the meetings, so, Minato was kept out of her plan – so what if she was pregnant, she was a capable kunoichi and it's not like anyone there would try flinging a kunai in her direction, and if they did, she wouldn't mind castrating the offenders.

With a huff, Kushina started writing about her first meeting with the fox. She expected more resentment from someone imprisoned for so many years, but the Kyuubi was frosty at best, annoyed at worse. The only times it showed his hate was when Konoha was mentioned – and boy did it hate them.

And now she was getting off course, the point was that it willingly agreed to listen to her bet, only to turn it down after discussing what each side betted on – it seemed to want a lot more than what she had to offer, but that too was expected. After all, she didn't offer much.

In fact, Kushina suspected that it couldn't care less about human matters – and using her eyes, wouldn't that be the only thing it will see? Kushina believed that the only reason the fox didn't refuse farther negotiations, was because it really _was_ bored, and if it were, wouldn't offering it something that could cure its' boredom be best?

She couldn't offer it freedom, nor could she free him from her chains – too dangerous, that. Yet maybe the question shouldn't be what she could offer the Kyuubi, but what did the Kyuubi _want_?

Kushina frowned as she stared at the paper as if it offended her, but an answer didn't come just because. It seems like one talk with the fox wasn't enough. She needed to get better intel, and to find something else to bet on – and for the fox to reject.


	4. Kyuubi II

The human will be back – the Kyuubi's ear twitched in irritation, yet his mind couldn't help but run the encounter endlessly in his mind. Even back then, he'd noticed something off about the human's demeanour. He played along – cautious and watchful as he looked for the slightest changes in her expressions, the sound of her heartbeat, and yet what truly caught the Kyuubi's attention was her lack of _heat_ at his parting words – it all painted a noticeably clear picture if a little odd.

This wasn't a desperate attempt to entice a greater being to aid your side – too cautious and hesitant – so, what was the purpose of this visit? Why bother visiting this… place – because there had to be a reason.

She acted unlike the humans he'd come to know - _they_ wouldn't have asked or talked to the Kyuubi before taking and hoarding and snatching his chakra like they _owned_ him.

The Kyuubi remembered all his jailers, their human faces seared against his eyelids like an ugly scar. Redheaded and tiny bodied, they stood before him _like they had the right,_ while he was trapped in a small cage – how he loathed them.

**_A sharp pain cut deep as the chains wrapped tightly, binding him like he was nothing. Is nothing._ **

He wanted her to hurt, for she deserved so much worse for what her species had put him through – the resentment gathering in his gut twisted pleasantly at the thought.

The Kyuubi gave a sharp grin that showed a raw of sharp fangs – yes, she will come back for she still required his help. His refusal would not keep her away for long.

What should he demand of her? It needs to be something the human would be reluctant to part with, which surprisingly enough had nothing to do with her human village. Her expression, when he promised to burn it to the ground, was a touch too indifferent to the Kyuubi to believe she'd put that place ahead of her own plans, whatever those were.

There must be _something_ – an object so dear she would prefer to die before handing it over. The question was how the Kyuubi could trick her into telling him what it was…

**_"What do you want?" She'd asked, "my firstborn, or something?"_ **

He denied interest back then – disgusted at the thought of owning one of his jailers' kits – yet her words after irked him more than he cared to admit.

**_"Well, good. Because that's the one thing I refuse to bet on," the human smiled looking like a huge stone got off her back._ **

The Kyuubi's ear twitched once more at the insult – maybe he _should_ demand her unborn child for her part of the bet – he could already see her horrified expression and the colour draining from her face.

The human would rage and hiss at him, but she would never agree, not when giving him her son would place him in harm's way. If the Kyuubi wanted to _destroy_ her, the child must live – but nine-tailed fox refused to raise the kit as a human. Perhaps that too will contribute to the kit's mother's suffering.

The Kyuubi huffed.

That would never happen, the woman will never hand over her kit – no decent mother would, _not for the world_.

There was a time where the Kyuubi too, was a mother - it was so, so long ago when he was still young and foolish. A human man helped him out of a hunter's trap – a harmless thing that, but the demon was masquerading as a normal fox back then, so he dared not break out of the thing in front of the human.

It came as a surprise when the man had let him go, so the Kyuubi, feeling curious and mischievous, shapeshifted into a young woman – he named himself Miyoko and a few years later, he'd married the man.

The Kyuubi closed his eyes as the memories assaulted him all over again – his first kit was born mostly human. Still, their unique abilities gave away how different both mother and son were. The man the Kyuubi married discovered about the kit's capabilities when the boy was three, and like the disgusting race humans are, he tossed both mother and son out.

The Kyuubi possessed him then, and led him to a remote place, days away from their shared home and left him there to rot – unfortunately, the man survived the way back, but by then the two had already left.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kitsune are commonly portrayed as lovers, usually in stories involving a young human male and a kitsune who takes the form of a human woman.  
> He man eventually discovers the fox's true nature, and the fox-wife is forced to leave him. In some cases, the husband wakes as if from a dream, filthy, disoriented, and far from home. He must then return to confront his abandoned family in shame.  
> Many stories tell of fox-wives bearing children. When such progeny are human, they possess special physical or supernatural qualities that often pass to their own children.


	5. Kushina III

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Kushina tries to outfox a fox

The Kyuubi had been waiting for her, Kushina realized the instant the fox's bloody-red eyes focused on her. Its' tails, restrained as they were by the chains, juddered in interest which reminded Kushina of a wild beast. It too, had the same gaze as it readied itself to pounce upon its' prey.

Clearly, such a look suggested that the nine-tails felt like it was in control, and like an asshole, it showed great care to show it – the behaviour nearly had Kushina huffing in irritation, since she'd never liked it when people got too full of themselves.

Then, another thought caught her attention, because even a nine-tailed demon fox would know that its' current condition had it in an unfavourable situation – was it bluffing then? A show put together to fool her into thinking it had the upper hand. It was possible because she'd do the same if she somehow ended up in its' place.

No one liked being the underdog, especially someone who was used to being feared and respected – well, playing along wouldn't hurt her either way since the Kyuubi's power wasn't really her end goal, and while it would have been nice to gain such a powerful boost, she was fearsome enough by herself – moreover, often one found that borrowed power had unforeseen consequences.

Keeping up with its' arrogant act, the Kyuubi sized her up – which, Kushina mused, showed it thought her a threat. At least it wasn't dismissive of her presence like last time.

"You've come again," the fox stated. It leaned back with a haughty look – maybe it thought her desperate to come back so soon, and it wasn't wrong. Kushina was anxious, and the more she thought of the future, the more she feared what was to come.

The redhead forced herself to calm down – there would be time to get distracted by her thoughts later. Instead, the woman sat down on the murky ground, making herself comfortable, "I did," she agreed, "we weren't done speaking," she said simply while waving her hand.

The Kyuubi eyed her for a short while before snorting, "that's a human for you," it barked in distaste, "your species sickens me. You come here only when you have something to gain, and instead of respecting your betters, you trample over their words like _they mean nothing_."

It was a cruel thing to say, and the words seemed loaded with emotion that intrigued Kushina. It seemed like there was a story here since it was unlikely that this kind of intense dislike was _all_ due to her avoidance policy, even if the act had contributed to its' resentment.

When the fox saw she had no intension of defending herself it only grew angrier, which oddly enough, calmed Kushina a tiny bit. This – this rampaging emotion – it suited the Kyuubi much more than the mostly indifferent expression of last time.

"I thought I've made myself plenty clear," the Kyuubi continued, "you had _nothing_ worthwhile to offer me, and I wasn't willing to give in to your demands," the fox tilted its' head to the side with a sharp glint in his eyes.

Kushina bowed her head in assent, "which is why I came back with a different offer," she explained, "I won't ask you to give up your hate – I know a losing battle when I see one," Kushina clarified because she needed the fox to understand that she could be reasoned with, "therefore, I won't ask you to spare the village."

The Kyuubi tilted its' head in interest and hummed curiously, "you would forsake your village?" it asked morbidly, and Kushina shook her head in denial.

"I thought it over, and I believe it's better if I left protecting Konoha to Minato," she waved her hand in a rather dismissive gesture which seemed to irritate the Kyuubi – or maybe it was the implication that one human would be enough to combat the fox's power.

The second option seemed more likely.

A few seconds later, the Kyuubi's ire shifted into a mocking, conceited look, "he will fail," the fox settled on, before examining her closely, "but you already know that."

Kushina shrugged, "maybe, maybe not – but one thing was clear after our last encounter," she countered, "leaving Konoha in your hands will be the wrong choice. I'm not saying this because I think fox demons cannot uphold their end of the deal, nor is it to slight you."

The Kyuubi snorted since it highly doubted Kushina's humble approach – as if a human cared enough for anymore other than themselves.

"There is no need for your fake politeness," it said broadly, "I know very well what it is you meant," the glare it sent her way was laden with its' own brand of distrust.

Kushina winced at the fox's toxic words, but she didn't protest – doing so would only aggravate the beast farther, even if she really did mean nothing by that. The Kyuubi, it seemed, had a shallow opinion on humans in general.

"So, why are you still here?" it asked, "What is it that you need so badly that you'd risk me turning on you in the end?"

Kushina's eyes shone brightly as she reworded her request – "I am a human after all," she started, "what else could I care about more than myself?"

The fox snorted, "is that it?"

"I want you to treat me as you'd treat yourself," she pressed on, " _even if_ you ever escape the seal."

It was a risk, but Kushina knew that if she'd ask the fox directly to care for her child, to treat them like they were its' own, there would be a great risk that he'll deny it – to spite her, to bring her down and laugh at her misery.

This way, the Kyuubi will think it was its' own idea – he'd use her own words against her.

(Did you not say to treat you as I'd treat myself, why… doesn't that mean that your child is also my own?)

Now all that was left was to hear the Kyuubi's reply.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Damn this chapter was hard to write, thankfully it won't be long before I get to the start of the original 'fox prince' - which wow, it took more chapters than I thought it would...  
> Please tell me what you think in the comments section down below! Your comments delight me and hearing your opinions literally makes my day :)


	6. Kushina IV

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Minato and Kushina talk

**\- One month before Naruto's birth -**

"Naruto is kicking again," Kushina chirped happily with a mischievous smile. Her baby was a lively one – always moving and shifting with restless energy. Kushina could already tell what a handful Naruto is going to be.

Minato pulled her closer and she rested her head on his firm chest, pressing herself against his muscular body. His large hand caressed her back when the same twisted thought got hold of her again.

The Kyuubi.

The birth.

Even if the possibility was small – not as small as Jiraiya getting chosen as the next Hokage – and nothing indicated that anything was going to go wrong with the birthing process, Kushina couldn't bring herself to let it go.

Apparently, the same applied to Minato since her husband kept preparing for the worse possible outcomes - always analyzing, examining and researching. She, on the other hand, trusted her instincts more than she did plans. _Plans always go wrong somewhere along the way…_ But, Kushina took a deep breath, maybe having a plan is exactly what she needs.

She'd placed her trust with the Kyuubi, now it was time to do the same with her husband. Kushina pulled him closer to her, her hands wrapping around his arm as she hid her face in his chest, "before I started my role of the Kyuubi's Jinjuriki my mother told me about what her life as a Jinjuriki and what to expect from then forward. I think it's only fair that I did the same now," Kushina chortled before looking away.

Minato hugged her closer with a calm expression and hummed to show her he was listening. Kushina passed her hand through his blonde locks of hair – so soft. "You know that if the Kyuubi frees itself during the birth, I'll die. Not immediately. I'll have an hour, maybe two before-"

"I'm not going to let you die," Minato grumbled softly.

Kushina straddled him, and her red hair framed her face as she looked down at him, "this isn't about that," she insisted. "This is about what if things _will_ go wrong, and the Kyuubi _does_ get free," and then she adds in a softer voice, "this is about my unborn son and my stupid, self-sacrificing husband."

"It won't come to that," Minato promised, "I won't let it. I'll keep you safe."

Kushina shook her head. It's not like she thought Minato was going to just let her die. Minato would sooner cut off his own arm, but life can surprise you. Things that you took for granted could be taken in a second's notice.

Kushina's mom used to tell her to live her life like every second could be her last – if this was her last second on earth, then she wanted her son to live a long, fruitful life with people he cared about, and cared about him in return.

For this reason alone, Kushina refused to let Minato pretend nothing could ever go wrong. She takes his hand in hers and looks up at him, "and if you can't? keep me safe, I mean. What if the Kyuubi gets out?"

Kushina knows this is hurting Minato, but this is something that he needs to hear.

"The only way to deal with the Kyuubi will be to seal it in a new vassal."

 _In Naruto_. Because Minato would not use another child to save his own.

Naruto will be alone. Without her, without his father.

"I know. I'm not telling you not to – you wouldn't listen anyway, but Minato, if there's even the _slightest_ chance that you'll use Naru-chan… than it's my duty to tell you what it means to be a Jinjuriki."

"The village people," people that will suffer at the Kyuubi's hands, "won't see our son as human, but as the beast itself," Kushina explained, "and what do you do with beasts, Minato?"

_Kill._

Avoid.

There are only two options.

That night, Kushina talked and raged and grumbled about her time as a Jinjuriki. It was the first and only time Minato ever heard her talk about that and the more he heard, the more his heart broke. "I want you to be ready for that Minato-Kun."

"Tomorrow," he vowed, "I'm going to look for the third. I _will_ work out a plan to make things easier for our son. I promise you Kushina-chan."


	7. Minato I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Minato gets a loud waking call - and it hits him like a slap to the face.
> 
> Happy Christmas!

Minato found himself prowling at the side of the Hokage's private library, while Kushina poured-over several of the many scrolls lining up the tall bookcases. He smiled stupidly while picking up the discarded scrolls his wife carelessly tossed to the side – by now it was a rather large pile, but Minato couldn't help but find the act endearing.

Kushina let out a slight humming sound before putting the scroll down and scribbling something in her own – Minato had taken a look before, but most of what was inscribed were coded, and what not amounted to simple ideas and documented areas which should be studied.

Given enough time, Minato was sure that Kushina would be able to fill her scroll with a much better, and far more concrete study of the sealing arts – and art that she, by her own admission, should have taken more interest in. When he asked, Kushina explained that having a seal painted on her midsection was not enough reason to read the dry, mind-numbing squiggles of some old fossil. 

Minato understood what went unsaid – she'd gotten her reason now because if Naruto was going to face discrimination from the village, he'd better have some tools to defend himself with.

It disagreed with the image Minato had of Konoha as a whole, and the man still found it hard to believe his boy would need defending from vitriol words and venomous stares, but he decided to listen to Kushina because to do so wouldn't cost him much, and if she ended up being right, Minato didn't want Naruto to go to sleep crying at night.

So, he sent his best Anbu to a few hidden villages, to find out if they happen to have something to add to the Hokage's impressive private library – which they did, even if the method left some of his Anbu contrite.

Soon after, Kushina visited what was left of her former fallen village and returned with even _more_ scrolls. It all added up to a high sum, and studying the new material proved to be challenging.

Minato found a way to protect Naruto's young mind from direct contact with the demon fox, but Kushina only gave him a slight smile and a few words of praise before going back to her Fūinjutsu. He tried not to be disappointed, yet he couldn't help but feel like his wife never seems to have time for him anymore.

Honestly, that was partly his fault too, because Minato had taken to spending extended amounts of time in the Hokage's office, council meetings and debating with his advisers. He should have been home instead, pampering his wife like she _deserved_.

Because… Kushina didn't take good care of herself, not like Minato wanted her to, but he was too busy to do anything about it. All she did was study and prepare for something that may not even happen.

Yet, doing all that hard work paid off when Kushina found something impressive - techniques that could link the fox's chakra to Naruto without harming him. That would help the boy when he grew old enough to draw on the fox's chakra, which Minato didn't plan on happening anytime soon.

Things continued in this fashion until the fourth Hokage couldn't delay anymore, and under Kushina's insistence, he'd met with Sarutobi Hiruzen to talk about Naruto's future, but somehow, it seems that the talk turned towards the village and Konoha's need to appear as resilient as ever.

Minato did insist that if Jiraiya-sensei and Tsunade-sama both somehow couldn't make it in time, then Sarutobi would take care of Naruto personally. The wise man had been like a father to him, so there was little doubt that the Third would abuse Minato's son.

Minato was sure that the plan the Third Hokage suggested would work.

Like this, days went by.

X

"Push!"

Kushina shrieked, as a bone-crushing ache tore her from the inside out.

"I am pushing damn it!!!" She glared at Minato fiercely and wished for the umpteenth time for the man to take his sympathetic look and shove it out the window. He didn't, but the added cowed look did make her feel a tiny bit better… For about a second. Then she _screamed_.

The medic flanking Minato gently guided him to the side before he took another look at Kushina. "You're doing very well," he said while his chakra searched for any problems, and slowly drew back when he found none, "it shouldn't take much longer," the medic, Kaori, said, "I can see his head." 

Minato eyed the flashing seal on his wife's bloated stomach before entwining their hands only to wince at the death-hold crushing his fingers not soon after. He smiled at Kushina's cry of relief at the medic's diagnosis and hoped – The seal should hold. It will hold as long as-

Minato's eyes widened as the seal appeared entirely and Kushina screamed -

"Fuck!!"

The Kyuubi. It _escaped_.

"Contain it! Don't let it come close to Konoha!"

The fox thundered alongside Kushina as the two separated entirely, and Minato felt his world crumbling around him – this wasn't supposed to happen. They were prepared, they did everything right so the Kyuubi shouldn't, it shouldn't have escaped.

Minato's heart sank as he looked at Kushina –

_"you know that if the Kyuubi frees itself during the birth, I'll die. Not immediately. I'll have an hour, maybe two before – "_

No, there was still time, the Kyuubi hadn't gotten far yet, so if he could seal him back inside Kushina, she should be able to –

_"I'm not going to let you die."_

Minato took a deep breath and prepared as he was, his body froze nonetheless – because here he was, getting ready to give up his life –

_"and if you can't? Keep me safe, I mean. What if the Kyuubi gets out? The only way to deal with the Kyuubi will be to seal it in a new vassal."_

This momentary distraction cost him more than he would have liked to admit.

The fox ignored the small party consisting of Minato, Kushina, a few trusted Anbu from Minato's privet guard and a single medic – which would have made Minato glad any other time, but not now, not when he needed it close – and with speed Minato didn't think it capable of, the fox charged toward the village.

Minato felt his heartbreaking all over again because –

_I want you to be ready for that Minato-Kun._

Minato turned to Kaori, "Take care of them."

The medic gave Minato a keen look and Minato remembered that Kaori-san had a wife and a little girl of his own waiting for him back at Konoha – "I won't let it come close to the village," he swore, "I'll protect them."

Kaori looked like he wanted to rub his eyes tiredly, but instead, the man nodded before going back to delivering the baby.

There was still time – Minato turned to look at the Kyuubi, and with a loud battle cry, the man summoned Gamabunta. Minato will have to redirect the Kyuubi away from the village.

But Minato knew – he knew that saving Kushina wasn't possible anymore, because he missed the chance and now… The only way to deal with the Kyuubi will be to seal it in a new vassal.

In Naruto. Because Minato would not use another child to save his own.

Naruto will be alone. Without Kushina, without his father.

_"If there's even the slightest chance that you'll use Naru-chan… than it's my duty to tell you what it means to be a Jinjuriki."_

_"The village people," people that will suffer at the Kyuubi's hands, "won't see our son as human, but as the beast itself," Kushina explained, "and what do you do with beasts, Minato?"_

_Kill._

_Avoid._

_There are only two options._

With a loud battle cry, the fourth Hokage did the hand signs for the Shinigami's seal.


	8. Hiruzen I

Sarutobi Hiruzen was the only one who knew the truth of what happened that night – while the Hokage was away, dealing with what could end up as a catastrophic disaster, Sarutobi remained stationed inside the village at Minato's request.

The Kyuubi situation had been kept to a select few individuals, most of which died when the fox got loose. It had been done to prevent any sort of leakage – Konoha had enough enemies, both near and far.

Honestly, it was still unknown if it had been a natural occurrence or a planned attack. Sarutobi betted on the letter, if only due to his faith in Minato's abilities – As the man's Sensei he knew Minato wouldn't make such a rookie mistake, but without proof, there's nothing the old man could do.

That night, when the Kyuubi's searing chakra erupted into existence, he'd done as Minato asked – he sent the most suitable shinobi over to assist fighting the fox, given commands to help evacuate the civilians, and quickly sealed all information about Minato's unborn son.

It was later that night, after the Kyuubi disappeared like the end of a dreadful nightmare, that he'd found everyone in Minato's party died in the Kyuubi's attack. That left Jiraiya, Tsunade-hime and him as the only people who knew about Naruto's heritage. 

Yet, with Jiraiya and Tsunade-hime staying away from Konoha, taking care of the child fell to Sarutobi, and so, he took the child away from his parents' cooling bodies.

When Naruto turned three, the Hokage had finally lost hope to find a good family for the child, and so, Naruto was placed in a small orphanage under a promise of a large monetary sum. The matron took the child with an expression of abhorrence etched over her pudgy little face, before passing him to a younger, nicer looking girl who stood next to her.

The girl – Toyahime Nusaki – kept the boy at an arms' distance but seemed resigned to having to take care of the child, much to Hiruzen's relief, for he feared that even here the boy's life would be endangered.

The third Hokage acknowledged that Naruto's life wouldn't be easy, or happy, but Sarutobi was too old to take care of a child, more so now that he was thrust back to his old position.

The old man still came occasionally, a gentle smile gracing his face as he took Naruto out to play. Naruto was… a problematic child, but for that Hiruzen knew he had only himself to blame.

In his hurry to bury Naruto's parentage, he'd neglected to erase all connections to the fox, which in turn sparked the first rumour. It was only after it spread like wildfire that Sarutobi was notified by a member of the Anbu, and by then there was no way to disprove the theories.

Had he tried, the old man knew it would have only backed those wild stories instead, but he couldn't ignore them either. A Jonin had already attempted to assassinate Naruto and Sarutobi was flooded with work from all sides – he couldn't stay with the newborn when the village was in dire need of rebuilding.

This stupidity had to stop – so the first thing he did was gather the civilians' council and the clan heads. They sat down, and Hiruzen made sure to explain to them what he knew about Naruto's status as a Jinjuriki.

Of the two, the civilians were harder to calm. They never bothered themselves with the ninja side of running the village, and they couldn't comprehend, or maybe had trouble separating the fox from the child – grief probably played a part in it too, for the fox tore families apart when it got loose, and those left behind needed someone to bear the blame.

They'd come to a decision then – one that was backed by the civilian's reactions to his explanation. It would be best to make Naruto's situation an S rank secret, since even now, with such a small group it took three hours for most of the non-ninja populace to understand.

However, that didn't stop the adults from despising the boy from afar or giving him the evil eye. It wasn't as bad as it could be, but for a young boy to grow up surrounded by such hatred, how could he be expected to behave like everybody else – is what Hiruzen kept telling himself.

Naruto, now two years old, grew up to be a quiet boy with an abundance of energy. He'd run around the house as if possessed and kept pestering his caregivers – until one day, he stopped. Hiruzen tried asking the boy what happened, yet the child remained silent on the matter.

He'd almost given up when one of his Anbu got through to the boy. It turned out that one of the ladies that came over every few days kept filling his head with nonsense – She told a toddler, one no older than a years' old, that they were a nuisance.

She pushed Naruto away from her, and the tiny child landed painfully on the rock-hard ground, and when the boy started crying, behaving no different than any other toddler, what did she do other than glare at the child? She spits on him.

When the old man discovered what happened his blood _boiled_ , and for the first time in a long time he knew that he was going to _enjoy_ destroying her – and that he'll keep going until she was left with _nothing_.

She would **_suffer_** for treating Naruto like that.

But the damage was already done.


	9. Kyuubi III

Naruto bites back his whimpers as he huddled behind a dingy trashcan, eyes closed and body shaking. He could hear _them_ closing in on him, but _they_ didn't know he was here, or _they_ would have kicked the trashcan to the side and punished him for daring to run away.

 **"Those despicable, ingrates _bafoons!_ "** Naruto turned his head sharply, looking for the speaker, before recognizing the voice – not a villager, thank god. They hadn't found him yet. **"Get up, you can't stay here."**

Naruto shook his head, but the action only made him whimper as his damaged ribcage sent a sharp sensation near his heart. There's no way he could outrun them like this, not when it took all his power to escape and hole up in this alleyway. 

**"I'll heal you,"** the voice assured as if healing people was something that applied to Naruto, **"but you have to get back to the orphanage."**

The child needed to get out of here before the villagers banded together. Like a nasty hoard, they'd claw at him, or try to burn him again – only now there wouldn't be a kind shinobi passing by to put out the fire.

This time, they were on their own, and while Naruto hated the orphanage, it was surrounded by a tall, menacing fence. The child usually spent time wishing he would be on the other side, with his Jii-chan, but both learned the hard way that going outside wasn't safe.

One time, Naruto asked Nusaki, his primary caretaker, if he could go play outside. Naturally, the answer should have been 'no', and even if an orphan could, it would never be without adult supervision, but Nusaki nodded anyways.

She opened the gates for Naruto, and when he left, she made sure to lock them after. The boy fell asleep hungry that day, and the Kyuubi could do nothing but watch.

Look at how _powerful_ he was – Pathetic. But that was when the Kyuubi couldn't reach the boy, and that was a long time ago. Thankfully, nothing worse happened after that, or the Kyuubi would have instructed the boy on planet handling – the toxic kind.

Let those humans see what happens when a kitsune held a grudge. He might still do it anyway since it was their idea for the kids to go out - have fun, intermingle with the village kids and all that jibber-jabber. How ludicrous.

It would have been great if the boy _could_ make friends, but even a muddled, drunken man could tell it wouldn't end well – this is why Kurama hated humans. Nasty, vile things.

It took a special kind of soul to purposely do something like this to a child – which was another reason Kurama refused to leave the kit _neglected_. The child may not have been born from his body, but he was _his_.

Red chakra sipped through the cracks and accelerated the boy's healing factor, making his wounds mend instantly.

**"Now go."**

There was a good chance that the gate would be locked again, but Naruto was older now, old enough and experienced enough that a simple lock couldn't keep him out.

There's a tree near the back that branches out close enough for the boy to jump over and land on the other side, but thin enough that it will break under the weight of a grown man.

They would try to have the matron opening the gates, but that old crown would never – that woman was a sticker to the rules, and while she couldn't care less about Naruto, she wouldn't endanger the rest of the kids.

As the villagers' voices grew dim, the child ran.


	10. Matron - I

When the matron found Naruto sitting next to his locked room, her face distorted into contempt.

The boy looked like he didn't have a care in the world, staring into space as he was, with that blank expression on his face. The indifference she saw had the old woman seething for all the trouble _she_ had to endure because of that little brat.

While the matron had gotten a sizeable sum for taking in the boy, it wasn't enough – she'd used it to buy clothes and furniture for the children so that when the cold season came, they would be warm and healthy. With what was left, she hired a few tutors, to teach the young ones reading and writing – they were very strict, but her kids would surely benefit from a firm hand, so she didn't mind much.

Things like good food and toys – not something cheap like a bowl of ramen, or a toy figurine, had always been funded by the well-wishing citizens of Konoha. However, from the moment that boy came, no one wanted to help her kids anymore.

Truly, that boy was nothing but trouble – always running around like a simpering monkey, and with the social skills of a shoe. The matron hated him, but her distaste for the child grew the more she was exposed to his faults – her kids often came to her crying because of the demon child, claiming that he hit them. Some of her workers suspected that he was stealing food in the middle of the night as well.

This was one of the reasons why the matron had him locked in his room – to prevent the little thief from taking away food from her other children.

Just thinking about all of that left the matron angrier than before, and she'd been livid, so that wasn't a small feat – after all, that boy was ruining relations with the villagers again. Why couldn't he understand that they needed their donations?

"Naruto," The boy froze as her chilly eyes bore into his, and when she moved closer – to get a better look at him - her shadow ate the child whole.

"Care to tell me why there's a whole hoard of furious men standing outside my gates," the old woman intoned calmly.

The boy didn't answer, but the matron had a feeling she already knew the answer.

"You know that they don't like you so you should have found a nice, remote spot to spend your free time," she huffed as if she didn't keep telling the boy the same thing over and over, "and not… ruin the orphanage's good name," she grasped his thin wrist in her talon-like hand and pulled him to the hall.

She gave the boy a once-over and tsked in irritation, "you look like you just came back from rolling in a pile of manure, it's disgusting."

Naruto cringed at his clothes' condition – they did look filthy, and in some places, more brown than the dull grey they were supposed to be.

The matron sighed and gave Naruto another judging look before she yanked him to the showers room, but not before asking one of her workers to go fetch her some child-sized clothes for the boy. She wouldn't have him staining her clean halls.

When she was done, she helped the child dress and sent him back to his room.


	11. Kyuubi & Naruto

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Kuram remains very anti-human, and Naruto is a sad little bun.

The room was small and filled with dust and depressing colours. It was mostly empty, containing just one old bed, a fragile sheet and a tiny closet. There weren't any games, nor books – Very boring too.

In Naruto's opinion, the worst thing is that the stupid matron locked the door to keep him _inside_ – claimed it was his punishment. At least she didn't look angry enough not to let him out when the rest of the kids came back to prepare for the evening meal.

" **That old** **_hag_** ," the Kyuubi growled low in his throat as a feeling of distaste settled in his guts, **"don't listen to a word she says. You haven't done anything wrong. It's _their_ faults."**

Naruto nodded sadly, for he was far too used to how humans operated around him. They were cruel and vicious. They looked at him with dark, cold eyes. They pushed him, and hurt him – he liked the voice much better, even if the one behind it wasn't human at all.

"I don't understand," the boy flopped down on his bed with a tiny huff, "I'm human, right? And I'm _nothing_ like them."

The Kyuubi hummed in agreement, **"because I claimed you as mine,"** the male added, **"that's why you're unique, Naruto."**

"Then why not claim them all, make them better?" the child mused.

 **"If someone doesn't want to get 'better', it won't help them even if I did,"** the Kyuubi explained, **"humans are a prideful species, and they can be very stubborn. Although there had been a few humans, I 'claimed' through the years."**

"Like me?"

 **"Like you,"** Kurama affirmed, **"but most humans aren't kind to non-humans – the same holds in reverse. We don’t like humans very much. They see them us as a means to an end, or they out-right hate us for following our ways."**

Naruto let out a heavy sigh and closed his eyes, "it sounds exhausting. Why can't we all get along?"

Kurama's silence echoes in the boy's ears, and Naruto shifts to the right - Hopefully, the man was taking a little pause to think of his answer. It sometimes happened.

 **"It's because Humans are gluttonous creatures. Their society revolves around power, and how to get more of it."** The Kyuubi sighed, **"My kind is fairly powerful,"** be it the Biju or the Kitsune, **"and when they're faced with beings as strong as us, they'll try to _use_ us, to keep us contained, and forcefully take our power for themselves."**

"And if they catch someone weak? What would they do?" Naruto's voice wavered as his mind replayed the Kyuubi's words.

**"The same thing they did to you, Naruto. They try to hurt them, and if they can't-"**

"They shun them." The boy buried his head in his pillow as his mind processed his friend's words. He also remembered how viciously the Kyuubi kept talking of the humans, and how quickly he could distrust them.

He claimed Naruto was different from _them_ , but Naruo was a human – he was one of those gluttonous creatures. He didn't like it. Not at all.

Naruto fell asleep, wishing he could see his friend face to face.

XxX

Naruto woke up in a sewer – cold and dump, and unfamiliar. The water, cold as ice, reached his midsection, and yet his clothes stayed dry. The boy took a careful breath and was surprised to find out that the air was clear, with no lingering stench – unusual for a sewer.

How did he get here, Naruto wondered. Wasn't he in his bed, waiting for his wounds to heal? Did someone take him while he was sleeping, and dropped him inside the sewers hoping he will die?

But his clothes, still dry even now, poked holes in his theory – well, it doesn't matter how he got here, only that he needed to find the way _out_. There had to be an exit here somewhere.

Maybe if he walked with the current, he'd find it, and if not, Naruto could always try the other way around.


	12. Chapter 12

The sewer was connected to a massive room. Inside, dipped in lanky water was a large metal cage, with a glued piece of paper with the word 'seal'.

Within, there was a dark figure – shifting and moving and twisting. Naruto didn't know what that was, not at first, but it wasn't hard to deduct that whoever was the source of the weird red mist that surrounded the room.

Naruto hesitated and almost turned around, with a particular expression that practically screamed – sorry, wrong room. Must be going now! Only to stop when he heard-

**"I see you finally old enough to access this place,"** the voice, the same voice he was so used to hearing, came from the thing in the cage - it moved once more, reviling big red eyes that stared right at the boy.

XxX

Naruto hated being called a nuisance – he didn't remember who said it or what happened, for it occurred so long ago… before the orphanage, before the voice and before he could even talk properly, but Naruto remember the _tone_ – sharp and scalding, like a knife wound, or getting burned from a hot stream of water. Painful.

It used to bother him a lot. Not only because he understood that being a nuisance wasn't a good thing, for if it were only that, then a meeting or two with the Hokage would have fixed the whole situation – but the way that person looked at him had hurt him worse than any knife ever could.

He feared that it was only a matter of time before the rest would look at him the same because they didn't like him much from the start. What if they decided that Naruto was a nuisance too, and like that person, they would pack their bags and leave him?

At that time, Naruto was too young to understand what being a nuisance meant, but he knew he didn't want to end up as one. He didn't want to be alone or to lose his Jii-chan. So, Naruto was determined to change.

He'd make sure that no one would look at him like he didn't exist - As if it would have been better if he were dead. But no matter what Naruto did, the adults never seemed to be happy with him. No one but Jii-chan cared, and the man didn't have time to visit.

Like that, Naruto started growing depressed. Why was he so unlikeable? Did he do something bad? Was Naruto a bad boy?

It was about that time when he'd heard the voice for the first time – it was weak, and sounded far away, but that only meant Naruto had to try listening harder.

The first thing the voice said to Naruto was: **"you're a good boy."**

The second thing the voice told him was: **"it's not your fault that they don't like you."**

While far away and distant, the tone was unmistakable. Naruto knew that the one speaking to him cared – for him, and about him. Why else would he sound so angry at his behalf?

Naruto wanted to hear it again, the proof that there was someone new that didn't hate him, so after the child forced himself to stop fidgeting, he asked - "really?"

The voice didn't answer for a long while, and then the third thing it told him was: **"it's true. In fact, if not for me, they wouldn't react to you the way they do."**

For the first time in his life, Naruto had someone else to blame, and blame him he did, for a time.

The voice never outright said it was the nine-tailed demon fox, but Naruto had guessed it must have been because, apparently, the Kyuubi was feared and hated just like Naruto was. The only problem with his theory was that according to his Jii-chan the fox was killed by the fourth Hokage.

Now, however, looking at the huge form hidden behind the massive bars, Naruto knew that the nine-tailed fox hadn't been killed, for it was standing right here, in front of him.

There was a second of disconnect, in which all Naruto could think about was how uncomfortable the Kyuubi must be, trapped inside a cage much smaller than he was – he hoped it wasn't painful.

**"I think,"** the voice said, **"it's finally time for me to formally introduce myself."** The being closed his one visible eye, and with a soft red glow, it started shrinking down to a much more manageable size. When it finally stopped condensing its' chakra, a majestic looking fox as high as a normal person stood there instead.

Naruto noted how the tails kept twitching as if their owner were nervous, but that must be something else, because the voice sounded so controlled, like flowing water.

The fox bowed, **"My name is Kurama, the Kyuubi no Kitsune**."


End file.
